If you’ve contributed to any of our General Managers Monthly stories - One Great Idea, Working Together or our Featured Story perhaps - you’ve either been invited to be highlighted in our Professional Profile feature or you likely will be. A series of questions are asked that tap into the expertise of the many PGA of America General Managers who have made the first two years of this publication so successful.
Through the monthly Professional Profile, we delve into the GM’s daily role at his or her club, their background in the game (including any mentors they’ve had) and discuss goal-setting and trends. We also ask about what they’re doing to be better GMs and any advice they might have for the up-and-coming PGA of America Golf Professional with his or her sights set on general management.
Most PGA of America Golf Professionals will attest that we are very good at sharing ideas. Whether it’s in Orlando at the PGA Show each January, through our Section meetings or through publications like PGA Magazine, we share our successes, warn of our failures and seek to learn from both for greater prosperity in the future.
Earlier this year, Chris Nowlen, the PGA of America General Manager at Missoula Country Club in Montana offered this advice on being a better GM, “I am committed to continuing education and mentorship and collaborate with industry professionals at every opportunity to better myself in my role. I have attended several PGA Magazine General Managers group discussions, am a Club Management Association of America (CMAA) member and am PGA of America certified in Executive Management.”
Nowlen, the President of the Pacific Northwest PGA Section, says it’s an honor to serve in Section governance. “I find so much insight and growth through these opportunities.”
Consequently, his advice to aspiring GMs is “to get involved.” “There are so many opportunities to network for support and growth in the industry. Connect with others to learn from their mistakes because we all have them. Refine your craft and know your value. Be innovative and allow yourself to learn from the experience of others. Keep our mission of serving the member and growing the game at the forefront of everything you do. Be the most informed individual at your club. Do the research, prepare and execute on the deliverables. Grow at every opportunity.”
As leaders in our game and our Association, you are developing the next generation of PGA Professionals. This information must be communicated to your assistant professionals, head professionals and directors of golf. After all, even if they’re seeking advancement without sights on the GM role, this advice is priceless and has been proven successful.
Back east, Ned Graff is the PGA of America General Manager at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Maryland. He reiterates the importance of education to be a better GM and even offered a stellar best practice on one way to share the experience with your team.
“I am a big proponent of education, which has become so much more convenient with web learning and podcasts. The key is to expand your perspective to try to be innovative. One may say think outside the box,” he advised in a February GM Monthly Professional Profile feature.
“Over the past few years, during our slower season, we have organized a book club within our leadership team,” he added. “Not everyone can always attend, but all are welcome. Each book is based on subjects the group feels would help our leadership grow. It is truly exciting to hear from our newer leaders and to gain their perspective on the principles of each book because it creates a new lens on how to look at the principles for me.”
Graff says that social connections and networking in our industry are essential. Developing relationships in golf and with your local business community helps create well-rounded professionals who will serve your members and customers with the excellence you seek.
In his recent Professional Profile feature, Mark Lammi, the PGA GM at Westhaven Golf Club in Franklin, Tennessee, admitted that he had been overlooked in a few recent GM searches and sought to close that gap between getting far in a job search and attaining the position.
“Before coming to Westhaven I had made it pretty far in multiple GM searches, but I always ended up losing out to someone who came up on the F&B side of the business. Once I was hired at Westhaven, I wanted to be sure a lack of F&B knowledge would never be an obstacle for me again,” he explained. “When I started, I spent every possible moment immersed in Food and Beverage. I made it clear to the F&B team that I was hired to be an organizational leader and was not interested in taking their job on the F&B side, but to be an advocate for their needs. To be successful, I needed to learn everything I could about their side of the business.”
Our most successful PGA of America Golf Professionals will tell you that they didn’t always make the right moves over the years. As golf pros, we seek perfection in a game that is impossible to perfect. As human beings, that extreme level of achievement is also not feasible. Learning from our peers is an advantage we have as PGA Professionals, and General Managers Monthly is just one resource provided through PGA Magazine. Just as this digital publication is geared towards PGA GMs, we have a monthly publication for PGA members who own their own golf shops that is chock full of advice on the subject. And our monthly PGA Magazine print publication continues to drive collaboration, share trends and keep our PGA members informed on many aspects of the industry.
In this very issue of General Managers Monthly, Maulana Dotch, the PGA GM at Houston’s Hermann Park Golf Course highlighted the importance of operational efficiency and a positive work culture to “elevate the overall customer experience.” In a time when we can be overwhelmed with technology, a growing customer base and changing times, gaining such focus and isolating one facet of your business at a time can ease the stress and lead to success.
So, as we head into the busy summer season, let’s take each other’s advice and learn, read, educate and mentor each other through this amazing time in golf. We’ll continue to do our part here at PGA Magazine, and we hope the messages shared each month hit home.